Comments on: Poll: 41 Percent Support Pot Legalization

[sugar_maple]

The reason why marijuana remains illegal are SPECIAL INTERESTS. It is that simple. These interests that are politically involved are POLICE and normally the Attorney General.

Ask your governor why marijuana is illegal, and more than likely he will say that it either gives the wrong message to our youth or the representatives of the appropriate state agencies and law enforcement officials do not care for it because it takes away... business?


To all politicians and marijuana prohibitionists... keep chasing that pot of gold at the end of the drug rainbow.

You'll never catch it.

[tx_statistician]

I agree that the results of the poll seem questionable, especially given the dramatic change between the results of the 3/2009 poll and this one. However, the problem is not with the sample size -- you can draw very strong conclusions about the population as a whole from a sample of that size if the sample is truly random and properly stratified. More likely, there is some bias in the composition of the sample that they have not accounted for or some other problem with their methodology.

In reply to some of the other comments that pot makes one "stupid" or "lazy," I would point out that I am a regular pot user pursuing a Master's Degree in Statistics, and I have run two marathons so far this year. I admit that I am probably not the typical pothead, but I don't think it's fair to say that pot use causes these supposed negative effects. I think it's more likely that some people have other issues (depression, for example) that trigger both pot use and apathy.

[oblivyous1]

I chose not to become a pain pill addict and took up smoking pot to help relieve pain. I find it appaling that a proven pain reliever is illegal and being withheld from many who would benefit from it. Once they remove all the pain meds with acetaminphen from the market and put fear in all the Drs who prescribe opiates till they dont prescribe them anymore , what will they put in its place ? I just hope i die of natural causes and not some painful debilitating death without pain medication .

[phwtb]

yeah yeah yeah... sure you use it just for pain relief. ;)

Get real folks. Legalizing it for taxation isn't going to work. There are still going to be alllllll those dealers out there that WILL fill the prescription cheaper than Walmart ever will, dealers that WILL give you top notch, Grade A at a fraction of Uncle Sam's price and there will ALWAYS be those good for nothing low lifes out there that won't be able to afford it in a controlled environment so home grown will still be the bargain shoppers best bet.

And then you have the problem of figuring out what pot will go with what tax... Acapulco Gold with a $50 tax... but what about Happy Haze, or Black Widow or any of the other 300+ types of pot and the even bigger problem of the arrest and conviction of all those out there driving around stoned because "now it IS legal", the problem the families will have burying more of their loved ones because some idiot was stoned and tried to drive home...

Get real. This is the most ridiculous debate I have ever encountered.

OR could this be another ploy of the federal government? Legalize pot, then hash, then coke, then all the other loser menu items out there. Get the ENTIRE country addicted to it, just like the cigarette companies did with smokers and then the government can tax the SH** out of all the non-smokers for a change.

But- warning to any and all of my employees: I will still enforce drug screening and I will STILL fire anyone on the spot for popping positive...

Good luck California!

[hionareef]

All of a sudden, everyone is going to drive around stoned. Isn't there anyone who prefers to be straight at home or at work anymore?

100 years ago when everything was legal, we had the same percentage of addiction in society as we have today. If cigarettes and alcohol are legal, so should be coke and heroine. They're just as toxic and addictive. BTW, as espresso is coffee, hash is pot. Both are about as addictive as the other. Look it up.

[John_Merritt]

Hey Mandy:

Stupider can be found in MY dictionary between 'stupid and stupor'. You like that, Ms. Power Executive.

Question: How is your company doing right now? How is your productivity? I bet you if I did a time analysis of your work day, you would be sorely lacking in comparison with counterparts in either your company, or similar. Especially after taking a few hits?

Are you laying off all your toker friends, or the ones that do not imbibe? Just a question.

[bantamei]

The government should have to prove why it is illegal.

[AB390]

Our current marijuana laws are impossible to enforce. Despite decades of eradication and arresting 800,000 Americans a year, pot is still easier to buy for most high school kids than beer.

Keeping marijuana illegal does not benefit our children. It benefits special interest groups: the alcoholic beverage industry, the prison industry, police departments and their suppliers, government bureaucrats, and drug cartels.

It is immoral to prevent responsible adults from choosing to use a less harmful substance in place of alcohol. If pot were legalized, alcohol use would decrease along with its social costs.

Tell your legislators to support California Assembly Bill 390: <a href="http://yes390.org"> <b> yes390.org </b> </a>

[tincup356]

I would bet the number is much higher than 41%....They didn't ask me, or anyone I know,,,,did they ask anyone here? Polls are a guess they do not show what the people really want,,,,,if laws were passed by what the people really want there would be drastic change in this country,,,,not only would marijuana be legalized.....political corruption would be cut to nothing ,,,IF,,,,, we could get lobbying outlawed and term limits enacted. The ONLY reason they would consider legalization is for TAX purposes only,,,it has become quite evident at this point that congress, BOTH parties,...... Are harlots to the lobby dollar and their addiction to it spurns worse behavior than Harry Anslinger warned of marijuana users in 1937.

[jab232]

Legalize it and tax it. Also, empty the pot smokers out of prisons to make room for violent criminals.

[Nextnik]

Marijuana really needs to be legalized, especially in tough economic times. In California's case, they can't keep spending money for enforcement and jails. If it were legal, states could use the California wine industry model to increase state coffers. Tax it, empty the jails, put cops back into the business of fighting real crime. Enough with the devil weed theories. Here's a video about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdONwv51Wm0

[excoachken]

So what, 45% thought Michael Jackson was just misunderstood.